‘Don’t forget your seatbelt, Wren,’ Wade said, mocking him. It was something his mom said to him often, much to his friends’ amusement. Wren pulled the seatbelt over his chest and clicked it in just as Justin took off. Wade unclicked it from his position in the back.

‘Don’t be an asshole your whole life,’ Wren said, his voice filled with annoyance.

Wade laughed. ‘Someone’s a bit touchy today.’

‘Just fucking drive,’ Wren said to Justin.

‘Wren.’ Justin started talking, no doubt aware that Wren wasn’t in the mood. ‘We all make choices. I make choices and you make choices. And we have to live with those choices. For some, it’s easier than others. You’ll get there.’

Wren looked out the window as they sped toward the school. Wren had been planning on taking the day off to get his head right, but what if he never saw things the same way again? The car stopped moving and he turned to see Justin already out of the car, Wade slamming his door.

‘Get out, Wren. Be normal, for fuck’s sake. What the hell is wrong with you?’ Justin demanded.

‘What’s wrong with me? What do you think?’ He slammed his door and stormed off, away from Justin and Wade.

He went looking for her straight away. He just had to. There wasn’t a particle in his body that didn’t need to see her, but she was nowhere to be found. He asked around. That’s what concerned boyfriends do. He called her. That’s what loving boyfriends do.

After first period, he continued his search for Olivia. Wren heard footsteps behind him. A hand on his shoulder. ‘If you tell, you’ll be in just as much trouble as we will be,’ Justin whispered into his ear. Wren spun around and pushed Justin backward, hands on his chest. Justin stumbled into Wade.

‘You’re fucking sick. You know that?’ People were watching.

‘Just being real. You were there too, and you let it happen. Just as guilty as us, man.’ Justin and Wade left him alone after that. He sat through the day once he knew that she wasn’t there. She wouldn’t have wanted to see him anyway. He left school and caught the bus home, something he hadn’t done in a while. His mom was home already.

‘Hey, baby,’ she said, calling out from the kitchen. He walked in. She was facing away from him, taking muffins out of the oven. ‘You’re home early.’

‘Caught the bus.’

She turned around, putting the tray on the side to cool. She came over to him, looked at his black eye and made a small noise in the back of her throat. ‘You OK, sweetheart? You’ve seemed… different these past couple of days or so. Distant, sad maybe. Did you and Olivia have a fight or something?’

Even her name brought up bad memories.